Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Thursday that the past year was "the most horrific" in the lives of many residents of the Kyiv region.
Zelensky wrote in English on Telegram, "For many residents of the Kyiv region, the past year has become the most horrific of their entire lives. The liberation of the Kyiv region has become a symbol of the fact that Ukraine will be able to win this war."
He considered that "events that were unimaginable in the 21st century have become a reality in the cities of Bucha and Irpin in Kyiv," adding, "Russian forces crept toward the Ukrainian capital from the north, bringing death and destruction."
Zelensky included video footage with his message showing severely damaged buildings and vehicles in the two cities, as well as interviews with survivors recalling what happened to them, and footage of bodies laid in rows on the ground in black bags.
The Ukrainian army regained control of the small cities of Irpin and Bucha on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv at the end of March of last year.
International investigators are currently gathering evidence from Irpin, Bucha, and other locations where Ukraine claims Russian forces have committed widespread atrocities. Russia denies this accusation.
